She Returns
by forever-exile
Summary: ONESHOT Naota's still living in the past, effecting his relationship with Ninamori. With this distraction, will he see what he has before he loses it? Can he let go of his memories for Eri?


-1**She Returns**

**A/N: I love this anime. I just do, its funny, its lovely, and its awesome. This is the story of Naota without Mamimi or Haruko. Without them, Naota just seems to slip further deeper into his depression. **

**Naota's now at the age of 16, almost four years after Haruko left.**

**D/C: I don't own anything FLCL, though I wish I did.**

**--------------------------------**

Things have been going strangely recently. I keep having the same dream of that one day that everything changed. Repetitively, I would see the eyes of Haruko as she flew away into space, chasing after Atomsk, and doing nothing but to let her go. Then Mamimi, leaves me too, I just stood there as I allowed myself to fall into the hands of another woman.

I noticed how fast things seem right, then turn for the worse. I try to ignore these things. None of my friends understand me, not even Eri, for these past few years, she grew closer to me, and yet, she fails to understand the pain I go through.

My father still holds a deep grudge against me, even though I it has been so long, he still wishes that I never had Haruko, but I cannot change that.

All there's left, memories, empty memories that don't even seem real, all evidence of the events of Medical Mechanica are gone, except for Canti and Haruko's guitar, I have nothing left to hold on to.

"Naota, dinner."

The barricade of empty memories between me and the door seem to grow each time I hear his voice. It reminds me of the time I first saw her in my house, casually eating dinner with my father and grand-father, but all it is to me is another empty seat. That place in my heart has never been successfully filled by another woman. Tonight was no different.

I got off my bed and walked pass the painful thoughts that have filled my empty head. I slowly drag myself down the stairs and into hallway. I calmed myself and hid the photograph of Haruko in my pocket and entered the dining room.

"Naota-kun?"

"Just let me eat."

"Naota…"

"Leave me alone. I don't feel like talking. I never feel like talking."

The kitchen door slid open suddenly and a familiar voice sounded from the other end. A familiar essence filled the room as my mind blanked out.

"Then you don't have to say anything, Takun."

I slowly lifted my head from the table. I dared not to look back, but some part of me wanted to.

"Naota's a bit older and a lot more mature. Not the same kid I knew."

All my thoughts of distress left my empty mind, and I flinched as they did. That voice has never left my mind, as I remembered her, even though it has been four years, I can still recall her voice. I start to turn towards the door.

Only a fool would imagine such obscure things.

_Was she really there? Did I imagine her walking to me? Am I imagining this right now?_

I got up from my seat and headed towards the stairs to my room, following her step by step. I slowly opened my door, and there she was, with her guitar in hand, striking the same note. I tried to ignore it as I walk to my bed but I couldn't shake her fragrance from my head. Her sweet scent attracted me even more. I wanted to believe that this is real, but in my mind, I refused it so. I laid on my bed facing the wall, and I felt her presence there too. I turn over and there she was, her palm brushed against my cheek, I blushed.

"What's wrong, Takun?"

My vision blurred as I began to cry.

"Are you really here?"

She smiled and laid next to me, she faced me and kissed my forehead.

"I thought you didn't feel like talking."

She wrapped herself around me as I rested my head against her chest.

"I only came back for you, Takun."

And those words the were last I ever heard from her. The next morning, she was gone.

I changed into my high school uniform and I left the bakery, Ninamori was already waiting for me.

"I thought you were never going to wake up."

"I'm sorry."

"No, that's ok, sometimes it takes a while. So, what do you want to do today?" She smiled at me and continued to look at me while I lowered my head.

"What do you mean?"

"We're late for school."

"What!" I panicked and she took my hand, I immediately calmed down.

"We don't have to go to school. I mean, there's no need to. Right?"

"Well, we could hang out by the river." I lifted my head. She nodded. We hopped on our bikes and proceeded to the river by the bridge. After ridding for a while we stopped and got off our bikes as we headed down hill under the bridge. Eri put down her bike and she stretched out her arms.

"Naota, now that we are here, what do you want to do?" She turned to me and she slowly started walking to me.

"Eri…" Before I was able to say another word, she wraps her arms around me and kissed me. Her lips had a slight taste of cherry and her tongue was sweet. Her tongue danced inside my mouth and I only pulled back.

"Naota?" I fell down to the grass, completely paralyzed by her kiss. It took me a while before I was able to respond.

"Eri, why did you kiss me?" She smiled.

"I think that we can say that it was more than just a kiss."

"But why did you do that?"

"Huh? You are acting very odd today."

"Odd? It is you who is acting odd."

"So, you have forgotten."

"Forgotten about what?" I carefully looked at Ninamori. Her pleasant face disappeared.

"Its our three month anniversary."

"Shit!" I had forgotten completely that we were together. It was Haruko's fault, she made me forget. I paused for a minute, I heard the roar of a passing vehicle, and its roar was very familiar. I looked up at the bridge to see if what I heard was her vespa, but I couldn't see anything beyond the trail of smoke.

"Nauta? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I shook my head and resumed my attention to Eri.

"You sure? Because for a minute there, you seemed… distracted."

"Yeah, it was just the heat. Maybe we should hang in the shade." We sat down against the wall under the bridge, she rested her head against my shoulder and I took her hand. She turned her head.

"What are you thinking about?"

I didn't respond.

She stood up.

"Maybe I should go." I snapped out of my hypnosis and I got up.

"Don't go." I grabbed her hand and hugged her.

"Why don't you kiss me?"

"What?"

"You have not kissed me in a while."

"Eri…. I."

"Its ok, I think I know what's wrong."

"Wait."

"No, you don't have to explain yourself." She started to walk away, I ran after her.

"Eri!" I grabbed her by the shoulders and I pressed my lips against hers. I stopped. "There, I kissed you."

"You only did it because that's what I want, you don't want to be with me anymore."

"That's not…"

"I don't want to hear it. As I said, I know what's wrong." She looked away from me. "You're seeing another woman, aren't you?"

I became blank, no thoughts, no words. She continued.

"If you still want me, then you'll know where to find me tonight. If not, then you won't. But I'll let you think about it, don't call me." She left. I laid down on the grass but immediately got up. I sat down at the edge where the river ran through, and I just started at the passing stream. Too many memories here. Flashes of her and me together, four years ago. The experiences that we shared, all started here. I sank my face into my hands and the tears began to flow.

Everyday, it only got worse, my overall sadness seemed to effect everyone, my father, Ninamori, and all my friends. I lifted my head a bit to look at the river again. Something caught my attention. I reached in the river and pulled out a pair of shoes. They looked like Mamimi's shoes. I heard the cling of a metal baseball bat against the concrete above me. I raced up the hill ran across the bridge. Once again, I felt like my mind was playing with my head. I saw her there against the drink machine, with a sour soda in her hand.

She puckered her lips and she had pink lipstick on, her hair was dyed blue, and she was wearing jeans, a white shirt and a baseball cap. She was barefoot. I slowly walked towards her.

"Mamimi?" She looked at me with a weird look. She pulled out a camera and took a picture of me. Then she pulled out a photo from her pocket and compared it to the picture in her LCD screen. After a minute or so, she looked at me and laughed.

"Ta…. I mean, Naota!" She hugged me. "Wow, chief, you sure are taller."

"I'm 16 years old now."

"You sure do look older." She smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm on vacation." She looked around.

"Are you a photographer now?"

"Yep, actually I'm a photojournalist but its basically the same thing." I smiled at her. I ran my fingers through her hair. She smiled.

"What's with the blue hair?"

"You like?"

"Yeah, I do. I didn't recognize you at first because of it."

"Oh, Naota. You haven't changed one bit since I left." My smile banished from my face, I looked away.

"You don't remember me at all do you?"

"Of course I do."

"No, you don't, you said that I haven't changed, when in fact I have."

"You still act like the 12 year old kid you use to be."

She shocked me with that comment and I grabbed her by the shoulders and this time she couldn't get away from me. She try to force herself away but as soon as my lips met hers, she stopped. Her lips gently opened and our tongues danced within our kiss. She pulled away.

"Naota, you have grown up." She walked away and disappeared into the fog that appeared suddenly. I tried to run after her but she was gone.

I got home, there was mail for my father in the mailbox. I looked through it and there was photo along with the envelops. It was a picture of Ninamori and me on our first date at a local restaurant. I turned the photo over and in small words, 'What's your decision?' was printed on the back. A pair of hands shielded my eyes and I pulled them away. It was Haruko.

"So, Takun, where have you been?"

Before I was able to answer, the scent of cigarette smoke caught my attention.

"Naota, where did you go?"

Mamimi was here too.

In unison, both of them started talking.

"So, have you decided yet? Who do you really want. Me, her, or Eri?"

"How do you know about Eri?"

"C'mon, Takun, we are only memories, but even memories live on forever."

My head became clear as daylight.

"So, you are not really here. You are just a memory. I got caught up in a memory, and you are a result of that. I didn't want to let go of the memories, I feared that I would lose it. But I lost track of my reality, and I almost lost someone who is apart of that reality. I understand now. Thank you." I hopped on my bike and I raced to the local restaurant, I looked back and both Mamimi and Haruko were gone, but I know now that they are not gone forever. My pace quickened, and my heart pumped faster.

Soon, I stopped in front of the restaurant, and there Eri was. Her face drowned in her sorrow, and I was ready to actually be her savior. I think after all this time, she would like me to save her. I realized that I love her, at the same time, Haruko and Mamimi disappeared from my mind. I was ready to accept new memories, new memories of Eri, and only Eri.

I slowly entered the door and I looked over to Eri's table, she didn't look up. I made my way to her table and I sat across from her.

"Eri, I came here to tell you why I have been acting the way I have. I have not seen another woman, I only want to see you. I was trapped within my own empty shell and what remains of it."

"And what remains?"

"At first, they were memories….but now they are gone, I let them go. I wasn't going to be able to love you if I hadn't. At least, not in the way I want to, and I want to love you." She wouldn't look at, I tried to grab her hand but she quickly pulled away.

"You don't love me?"

"I do, I love you. I couldn't say it before because there was something holding me back, and I want to prove it." She finally looked up at me as I went around the table, I sat next to her and I help her hand. With the other hand, I ran my hand through her hair. I leaned to her and I kissed her. This time, my lips weren't stiff, I smoothly embraced her, and she returned the favor. I felt her love through this kiss, for the first time, and I am sure that she felt my love too.

Ever since then, I accepted Eri into my heart, the memories of the past were soon forgotten. The names of those I have forgotten were never uttered from the lips of anyone, and my head never felt empty. I was always happy to see Eri, as she was for me.

After all this time, I was only able to forget the events of something out of the ordinary if it wasn't for…

**A/N: Wow, took me long enough… hmm, I don't expect to make a series out of this… sorry.**


End file.
